Structure

Board

The WECAN Board is composed of experienced early childhood educators from throughout North America. The Board has a four-day annual meeting each November and an additional meeting in the spring. Its various committees—Finance, Personnel, Board Development, Conference Planning, Development/Fundraising, Membership, Teacher Education, and Publications—are active throughout the year in a number of ways.

Board members and other WECAN colleagues participate in our WECAN Working Groups to deepen aspects of our educational work and prepare the results for publication in WECAN Books and the Gateways newsletter. The Board also acts as an organ of perception for the needs of the Waldorf early childhood movement and takes initiative in hosting conferences, publishing WECAN Books, and collaborating with AWSNA (the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America).

Regional Representatives

Experienced Waldorf educators in each region are invited by the Board to serve as WECAN Regional Representatives. On a volunteer basis, they help to assist organizations on their steps on the membership path, contact members to explore activities and issues of concern, facilitate collaboration within the region, act as a speaking partner to the AWSNA regional representative, and make recommendations to the WECAN Membership Committee regarding applications for membership and the evolving Membership Handbook.
For a list of regional representatives and their contact information, click here.

Staff

WECAN Coordinator Susan Howard works from her home office in Amherst, MA on a half-time basis for WECAN and half-time for IASWECE, the International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education. WECAN also employs a full-time administrator, Melissa Lyons, and a part-time Publications Coordinator, Donna Miele, in Chestnut Ridge, NY. Our (part-time) Managing Editor is Lory Widmer, in Wilton, NH. Holly Koteen-Soule is our (part-time) Teacher Education Coordinator, based in Langley, WA. Our Membership Coordinator (Laura Mason, Washington, DC) and Membership Administrator (Susan Wallendorf, Baltimore, MD), both work part-time out of their home offices. Communications for WECAN is managed by Lara Radysh (part-time) out of Amherst, MA.